Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of France, you would:
Health
be 65.9% less likely to die by suicide
France has a suicide rate of 16.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 6.2 years less
In France, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.1 times more likely to be obese
In France, 11.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
see 79.0% less spent on your healthcare
France spends $6,868 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 28.6% fewer doctors per person
France has 32.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 10.6% less access to essential health services
France scores 85 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
Economy
be 50.1% less likely to be unemployed
In France, 7.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
be 67.3% less likely to live below the poverty line
In France, 15.6% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
make 73.2% less money
France has a GDP per capita of $48,986 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
Life
have 27.4% more children
In France, there are approximately 9.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malaysia, there are 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.7 times more likely to die during childbirth
In France, approximately 7.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.1 times more likely to die during infancy
In France, approximately 3.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Malaysia, on the other hand, 7.0 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 10.6% more likely to have internet access
In France, approximately 88.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 34.0% less on education
France spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 65.7% less on healthcare
France spends 11.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 45.5% less likely to be murdered
France has a homicide rate of 1.3 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 10.4% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In France, 82% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In Malaysia, that number is 90% as of 2021.
be 3.0 times more likely to die in a road accident
In France, road accidents kill 4.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 83.9% less strain on fresh water
France withdraws 21% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 72.3% less home broadband
France has 48.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
use 21.1% less electricity
France uses 6,447 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 6.3 times more likely to die from air pollution
In France, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.1 times more CO2
France emits 4.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: France vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to France? See an in-depth size comparison.